Maternity slip



Nov. 1, 1955 C. D. MAINES MATERNITY SLIP Filed March 2, 1953 INVENTORCai'lzarzkze D. Mainar ATTORNEYS United States Patent 'MATERNITYSL'IPIIatharinesD. Maines,l=Knoxville, Tenn.

ApplicationMarh.2,.1953, .SeriailNo. 339,7 85

31]la'ims. .(Cl."Q--76) .This invention .relates .to .maternitygarments, and is particularlyzdirected toashadowproof slipfor wearduringpregnancy.

The principal object of :the present invention is .to provide .a novelform of maternity slip which not only can be .worn with comfort, butalso will present a neat appearance, .throughout -.the ,period ofpregnancy.

Other :objects include 'the .provision of an improved garment .of -the:characterdescribed -which-is of simple, attractive design andeconomical .to .manufacture, and which automatically adjusts itself tothe changing size and shapewlof the body of the wearer'as pregnancyincreases.

The maternity slip of the present invention is characterized bythe-incorporationof a 'fioating inner panel of novel construction whichwill remain in a frontal position, with --a substantially-even hemline,regardless of the extent to which -the-outer portion of the slip mayride up or otherwise become distorted as the figure-of thewearerehanges-during pregnancy. The central portion of the panel below thewaistline is cut out to avoid uncomfortable restriction of the abdomen,but the remainder of the panel is of suflicient area to provide securityagainst unbecoming shadows when the slip is worn beneath a sheer dress.

These and other advantages features of the improved garment of thepresent invention will appear more fully upon consideration of thedetailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the inventionwhich follows. Although only one specific form of slip is describedherein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it is to beexpressly understood that this drawing is exemplary only and is notintended to represent the full scope of the invention defined by theappended claims.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals indicatelike parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a maternity slip embodying the presentinvention as it would appear when worn during early pregnancy;

Figs. 2 and 3 are front and side views, respectively, of the garment ofFig. l as it would appear when worn during late pregnancy;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the skirt portion of the slip of Figs.1-3 with the slip turned inside out so as to better illustrate theconstruction of the inner panel and its method of attachment to theouter body of the slip;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the skirt portion of the slipcorresponding to Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the shadow panel of the slip of Figs. 1-5as it. would appear prior to attachment to the outer body of the slip;and

Fig. 7 is an enlargement of the upper left-hand portion of Fig. 4showing in greater detail the connections between the inner panel andthe outer body of the slip.

As shown in the drawing, the maternity slip of the present inventioncomprises an outer body 10 having a top portion 11 and a skirt portion12 which are united ICC at the waistline 13, and an .innerpanel 14 whichextends downwardly behind [the frontal area of skirt-portion .12 .so as.to .guard .against (the .creation :of unbecoming shadows when the slip.-is wornunderneath a thin .dress. .Since the characteristics of .the.outer body .10 .of .the .slip, .other than .the connections .between it.and .inner .panel 14, .formmo part .of the .present .iinvention, .saidouterbodyma y beoftanydesiredcut, pattern or design, and may he .made.of any .suitable .material. The mate- .rial from which .inner ,panel 14'is made and the relative size .and shape .of :said ,panel :are likewise.matters of choice, although the ,panel .should .be :long enough .toextend downwardly to about the :lower .edge of :skirt portion .12 .of.outer body .10 when :the wearer .is -.in the early stages .ofpregnancy, and .should be wide .enough to substantially span .the hips.

The upper .central portion .of ,panel .14 .is .cut out .to .provideaU-shaped opening .15.of SllfllClEIlt-ISlZC .to .ac- .commodate theabdomen of -.the wearer, particularly that portion .thereof whichbecomes enlarged and proitrudes :during ,pregnancy. The :upper edgeportions .16 of .panel 14 on :oppositesides :of opening 15 .are .sewn toouter body '10 by :stitching .17 :at or closely-adjacent waistline 13,these sewn .connections constituting .the only direct attachment ofthepanel to the outer body of the slip. .In.order thatthe'slip maybeworn with comfort "throughoutithe period of pregnancy andautomaticallyadjus't itself to the 'changing'waistline of the wearer,the sewntogether portions of panel "14 "and outer "body --1'0 aregathered into pleats "as indicated "at *18 and elastic members were sewnto the pleated areas, preferably at the'inner face *o'f the panel.If=de'sired, the waistline areas at: outer body 10 =immediately=adjaeent *upper edge portions 1 6: of panel 1'4 may also be :gatheredinto pleats by extensions of elastic members 19, as shown.

The side edges 20 and lower edge 21 of panel 14 depend freely from theupper edge portions 16 which are sewn to outer body 10, but means areprovided for maintaining the panel in its proper frontal position, witha substantially even lower hemline, regardless of the position of outerbody 10. To this end, each side edge 20 of panel 14 is connected atvertically spaced points therealong to the overlying portion of outerbody 10 by a plurality of flexible tape-like elements 22, each of saidtapes being sewn or otherwise attached at one end to the side edge ofthe panel and at its other end to the inner face of the outer body, theportion of each tape intermediate its ends being unattached to eitherthe panel or the outer body.

As shown best in Figs. 4 and 6, tapes 22 are graduated in length betweenthe upper and lower edges of panel 14, the upper pair of tapes beingrelatively short, on the order of about one inch in length, while thelowermost pair may be three or more inches long. The tapes 22 not onlymaintain the panel 14 in laterally spread position at all times, butalso permit it to hang straight even when the outer body 10 rides up. Inorder to present an attractive appearance when the outer body of theslip pulls up in front and forms an uneven hemline, as indicated inFigs. 3 and 5, the lower edge 21 of panel 14 is preferably provided witha suitable decorative finish or trimming 23.

With a maternity slip of this construction, it will be evident that thefloating character of inner panel 14, including the tape-like connectingelements 22, will enable the panel to maintain a properly centered,evenly hanging position throughout the period of pregnancy, the U-shapedopening 15 permitting the abdomen of the wearer to increase in size andprotrude without affecting the position of the panel, even though theouter body of the slip becomes distorted in shape. The pleated,elastic-backed connections between the upper edge portions of the paneland outer body 10 also assist in maintaining a neat appearance of theslip and provide a comfortable, automatic adjustment of the waistlinearea as the size and shape of the body of the wearer change.

While only one specific form of maternity slip embodying the inventionhas been described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it willbe obvious that the inventive concept is not limited to the particulargarment shown, but is capable of embodiment in a variety of specificallydiflerent patterns and designs. Various changes, which will now suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art, may be made in the form, detailsof construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit of the invention. Reference is therefore to be had to theappended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A maternity slip comprising an outer body having top and skirtportion united at the waistline adapted to cover the body of the wearerto substantially the same extent as a conventional slip, an inner panelextending downwardly behind the frontal area only of the skirt portionof said outer body to a point adjacent the lower edge of said skirtportion and having an upper edge sewn to said outer body at thewaistline and side and lower edges depending freely from said upper edgeand said body portion, said panel having an opening in the centralportion thereof of sufiicient size to accommodate the abdomen of thewearer, expansible means for adjusting the waistline portion of saidouter body and the attached upper edge of said panel to the changingsize and shape of the body of the wearer, and a plurality of verticallyspaced flexible elements connecting each side edge of said panel to saidouter body, each of said elements being secured at one end to one sideedge of said panel and at the other end of said outer body, and havingan intermediate portion between its ends which is 4 free of connectionto either said panel or said outer body.

2. A maternity slip as defined in claim 1 wherein the lengths of saidflexible elements increase progressively between the upper and loweredges of said panel.

3. A maternity slip comprising an outer body having top and skirtportions united at the waistline adapted to cover the body of the wearerto substantially the same extent as a conventional slip, an inner panelextending downwardly behind the frontal area only of the skirt portionof said outer body, said panel having a U- shaped opening in the uppercentral portion thereof of sufiicient size to accommodate the abdomen ofthe wearer, said panel having upper edge portions on opposite sides ofsaid opening sewn to said outer body at the waistline and side and loweredges depending freely from said upper edge portions and said bodyportion, elastic members connected to the sewn together portions of saidpanel and outer body at the waistline for gathering said portions intopleats, and a plurality of vertically spaced flexible elementsconnecting each side edge of said panel to said outer body, each of saidelements being secured at one end to one side edge of said panel and atthe other end to said outer body, and having an intermediate portionbetween its ends which is free of connection to either said panel orsaid outer body, the lengths of said flexible elements increasingprogressively between the upper and lower edges of said panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,372,977 Prokesch Mar. 29, 1921 1,432,249 Hoyme Oct. 17, 1922 2,014,620Hunley Sept. 17, 1935 2,255,697 Cohn Sept. 9, 1941 2,472,154 FioritoJune 7, 1949 2,642,575 Prescott June 23, 1953

